Gas prices are continuing to rise, and experts said they could go even higher by summer.

The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas in New Hampshire was $3.58, according to AAA. Consumers said they put the blame on the big oil companies, not local gas station owners.

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"You can't blame the little guy," said Jerry DeCarteret, of Manchester. "He's just trying to make a living like the rest of us. It's the big guy making the big bucks, that's what I think."

Gas station owners said they're at the mercy of their distributors and that they adjust their price per gallon to allow for a small margin of profit to stay afloat. Local gas stations said they make their real money on other items such as gum, soda and snacks.

Some oil company executives said the price could reach $5 per gallon by the summer.

Drivers that News 9 spoke to said they hadn't changed their habits yet, but that price point may force them to.

Some said they had started paying for gas with cash because some stations charge a lower rate for cash than credit card sales. Gas station owners said they typically have to pay 3 percent to credit card companies.